Where Our Demons Hide
by captnhook
Summary: "Did you know him on the Ark?" He asked a moment later. "No," she lied. Telling someone you just met that you used to have sex against the wall of a janitor's closet with your self-proclaimed jackass of a leader probably wasn't the ideal way to start a friendship. Especially with someone who didn't like him. [Slight Canon AU, Eventual Bellamy/OC].
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer** | I don't own the 100, it's characters, or its plot-lines. I only own my own writing (and not the quotes pulled from the series), my own plotlines, and any original characters and/or original character dynamics.

* * *

"Prisoner Two eight-four stand up and face the wall!"

Instead of making any effort to stand, the brunette prisoner remained seated with her back against the wall. A red rubber ball flew out of her hand and bounced off the opposite wall, while three guards stood there impatiently. "I'm busy," she replied monotonously, "and you're early. You were the nerd of school weren't you? Always showin' up at least fifteen minutes early." She caught the ball with her right hand once again, before shooting the guards another, quick, glance. "My supposed eighteenth isn't for another sixteen hours, come back then," she said as she drew her hand back to throw the ball again.

A large, gloved, hand forcibly hauled her to her feet and pushed her in the direction of the wall opposite the door. "What the hell," she demanded as she spun back to face them, "can't you give me sixteen hours of peace before sending me out into the black?"

"Face the wall two-eight-four!" the guard shouted as he spun her back around, this time he held her against the wall. "Hold out your right arm," he commanded as another guard stepped toward her.

"What the hell is that?" she asked as she noticed something in the guard's hand. Instinctively, her right arm came back toward her body.

The guard standing behind her grabbed her right wrist and slammed it into the wall her body was pressed into. She grunted at the pain from the collision and began to struggle against the hold despite the initial pain. "What are you doing?" she repeated her question, "What is that?"

Her question went unanswered as the black cuff was secured around her wrist and what felt like a dozen needles sunk into her flesh. "Son of a bitch," she groaned as the guard eased his hold on her.

She brought her head closer to the wall, her forehead almost touching it, before slamming her head back into the guard's. The sickening crack - likely the man's nose - made the pain of the action worth it. She had long ago accepted her fate, that she would be floated like the rest of the Ark's criminals, and with less than a day left she had nothing to lose.

The guard stumbled back and his hold on her was released, another guard had spun her around and struck the back of his hand across her face. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, lips twitched up into a slight grin. "How'd you know I liked it-" she began, the screams of another girl cutting her off.

" _No! I'm too young! It's not time yet!"_

"Charlotte," the brunette prisoner said before she kicked out at the guard in front of her and rammed her elbow into the face of the one next to her. Before any of the three could stop her she ran out the door to her cell and kicked the the door shut with the top of her boot.

To the right she saw the twelve-year old girl, one she had come to know in the Ark's orphanage. "Charlotte!" She called out as she ran toward the girl who was struggling against the hold of two guards. It had been a year, almost, since she had seen Charlotte - or any of the other children that had lived there. What the hell could the young girl have done to warrant being arrested? She was far too kind hearted, too _innocent_ , to be in the skybox. She must have underestimated the damage done by her parents being floated.

"Max!" Charlotte shouted, her voice desperate and her eyes filled with fear. The sight made Max run faster than ever at the same time she swore her heart shattered.

Her fist collided with the left side of the first guard's jaw, forcing him to release his hold on the much younger Charlotte. The second guard shoved the girl forward and while Max moved to prevent her from falling he landed a punch of his own to her eye. "Dick," she hissed as she threw herself forward, colliding with his body and sending them both toward the slab of wall next to the railing. Her knee slammed hard into his abdomen, a move that would have been more effective if his torso hadn't been covered by a vest. She spun around in time to kick the first guard as he came toward her.

"Max!" Charlotte exclaimed and the older girl snapped her head in the younger's direction and then was met with searing pain as a jolt of electricity spread through her body from her back. A second jolt surged through her at the same time there was a prick in her neck.

The last thing she heard was the desperate plea of a twelve year old girl.

* * *

"Spacewalk Bandit strikes again!"

"Whoo!"

"Go, Finn!"

Max heard the exchange before she saw it, but it was the shouting of another girl - telling two people to stay put if they wanted to live - that really pulled her out of her tranq induced slumber.

"What the…" she muttered as her eyes took in the sight around her, while her mind tried desperately to catch up to what she was seeing.

"Max! You're okay!" a small voice spoke beside her, and the brunette turned her head and glanced down at Charlotte.

"Are you?" she asked concern evident in her eyes - she'd never forgive herself if she failed to protect Charlotte when she had the chance. "Where are we?"

" _Your one responsibility is stay alive,"_ she heard Chancellor Jaha's voice and her eyes scanned to find the source: a monitor displaying a recorded message.

"I'm fine, Max," Charlotte said, "we're being sent to earth. All of us."

"Okaaay," she drawled, "I wasn't expecting that."

The ship lurched violently, lights flickered on and off, and the sounds of bodies hitting the walls mixed in with the screams of the various teenagers aboard the ship. Max reached over and grabbed onto Charlotte, reassuring herself she was okay. She couldn't protect Charlotte from the guards at the skybox, she'd be damned if she couldn't protect the girl on Earth.

At least, if the radiation didn't kill them both.

Fuck, they were going to _Earth._

"Listen, no machine hum," someone said soon after the movement stopped.

Her fingers made quick work of the buckles of her seat belt before she threw herself in front of Charlotte, squatting down before her. "You okay?" She asked as she looked the young girl over before moving to help her unbuckle herself.

"I'm fine, Max," Charlotte responded as she slid out of her seat. "Are they opening the doors?"

"Shit," Max muttered. The earth was soaked in radiation. "You stay here, wait until everyone else has checked the air first okay?" She didn't wait for a response before she shoved through the remaining crowd upstairs and then proceeded to make her way through the crowd downstairs.

"Stop! The air could be toxic!" Max heard a girl - the same one from earlier - exclaim as she pushed her way toward the front.

"If the air is toxic we're all dead anyway," the male standing in front of the crowd responded. The sound of his voice made her body tense.

It was familiar, despite not having seen Bellamy Blake in nearly a year, she'd know it was him even if all the lights were off and she couldn't actually see his face. She briefly debated on pushing herself deeper into the crowd, back the way she came, but she figured there was no point. On one hand it was childish and pointless - not something she'd usually do and on the other they were bound to cross paths sooner or later.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the dark haired girl declared she hadn't seen her brother in over a year. The infamous Octavia Blake - Bellamy's sister - arrested for the stupidest possible thing yet: being born. As if it had been in the girl's control.

"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden in the floor!" Someone - a girl - behind Max shouted.

"Oh, shut up," Max groaned as Bellamy restrained his sister. Briefly, his eyes caught hers and his lips twitched upward before his attention returned to his sister.

"Octavia, Octavia, no. Let's give them something else to remember you by," Bellamy said, hands on Octavia's shoulders.

"Yeah? Like what?" The younger Blake inquired.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years," he said with a grin and didn't take long for Octavia to mirror it.

The elder Blake - who was dressed in a guard's uniform and donned slicked back hair, something entirely un-Bellamy like - opened the drop ship doors. Everyone inside, all of the teenagers, were undoubtedly holding in a breath much like she was.

This was the moment where they'd figure out, at least upon first assessment, if the earth was survivable or not. Because if it wasn't they'd all be dead in minutes from radiation poisoning.

She wondered if a radiation induced death was quicker than death by floating.

"We're back bitches!" Octavia shouted, head tilted back. The rest of the 100 cheered and ran down the ramp the door created, Max released the breath she had been holding and followed the others outside. A moment later she saw Charlotte run out a smile planted on her face.

"We made it, kid," Max said with a big grin as she held her arms open for Charlotte. The younger girl ran toward her and they embraced, they may not have been related by blood - The Blakes were, after all, the only blood siblings on the Ark - but they were family. Family created in the absence of their own, whether by death or other means. "Stick close to everyone, alright?"

"Don't worry, Max," Charlotte replied before running off to go explore the nearby area.

"You know, I'd recognize those eyes from a mile away," a voice drawled behind her.

Laughter erupted from Max as she spun around to face Bellamy. "Is that supposed to be a line?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest, eyebrow raised. "Because if that's the case you're slipping Blake, that was _terrible_."

"Maybe, I'm just stating a fact, _Maxie,_ " He emphasized the nickname. She didn't have to see him to know he was grinning. Somehow, he managed to place his grin into the words he spoke. "You do have pretty," he paused, "freakish eyes."

"Oh, so now they're freakish eyes? Changing your tune, Blake?" She asked as she tilted her head, slightly, to the left.

Max wouldn't have been surprised to know she was the only individual on the Ark with her eye color - a rare color obtained by a mutation known as Alexandria's Genesis. Violet.

"You know me, Spitfire, always liked the freak in you," Blake responded, stepping closer.

Max wasn't sure just where he planned on going, any closer and they'd be flush against one another. On second thought, she realized, that was probably his plan. Bellamy Blake, always after one thing. Then again, Max knew, she was usually only ever after the same thing too.

"Good to know, Blake," she rolled her eyes and began walking backwards.

"That's it? Not gonna return the compliment?" He asked as his eyes followed her movements.

"Nah," Max replied and turned away from him. She noticed the blonde girl from earlier up ahead with a map leaning on part of the drop ship. She stepped closer in time to hear a guy, wearing goggles on the top of his head, make a comment about a bar and a beer.

In a matter of seconds what Max was certain was something that started out as a joke escalated pretty quickly when a group of boys stepped forward, claiming goggles was with them, and Bellamy spoke up. Max stood by and remained silent. She hadn't heard the Chancellor's message, due to her unconscious state, but if he said Mount Weather had the food and supplies vital to their survival she didn't understand why everyone was so adamant against going there.

Did they want to escape being floated only to starve to death? Or freeze? Or get a cut and die from an infection because the only readily available medical supplies were in a military base no one wanted to visit in spite?

Idiots.

They were doomed.

She was going to die surrounded by complete idiots. _How comforting_ , she thought sarcastically.

"Are you seriously," Max finally spoke up when one of the 100 started a fight with the Chancellor's son - Wells. "Picking a fight with him," she gestured to Wells with her chin, "because his father is Chancellor? Is that making you feel better about yourself? Is it helping you compensate? Getting a little posse and starting a fight because he's," she glanced back at Bellamy briefly, "privileged? No wonder why Jaha sent us down here to -"

A hand clasped around her mouth mid-sentence. "That's enough now, Spitfire, let them get back to their," Bellamy began as he pulled her back against his chest and held her in place. She wasn't sure if he had done it to mess with her, or keep her from intervening further, but her guess would be both. "Disagreement," he continued and dropped his hand from her mouth.

"No, no," the boy who picked the fight with Wells - Murphy - began looking directly at her. "What exactly am I compensating for? And shouldn't you, of all people, have it out for the privileged little Orphan girl?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Max laughed as she tried to pull out of Bellamy's hold. Everything she did, however, only made him tighten his hold on her. "Though your apparent insecurities might be outweighing that and no I'm not going to stand here and whine about who had it better and how I had it worse."

Wells had taken the distraction to stand up and push himself back into a fighting stance despite his clearly hurt ankle. Murphy turned his attention back towards Wells and Bellamy's hold loosened around Max slightly. "I'll get back to you," Murphy said pointing in Max's direction.

"Oh! I'm counting down the seconds," she muttered under her breath - the vibration in Bellamy's chest against her back told her he had heard her.

"Let go of me Blake," She hissed as her eyes focused on Murphy and Wells. She wanted to help, wanted to stop this audacity, it was who she was.

"Not a chance, Spitfire, just calm down," he hissed, his face nearly pressed against the side of hers.

Before the fight intensified, someone jumped down from a higher point on the drop ship, a flop of hair the most distinguishable feature of the young male. "Kid's got one leg, how about you wait till it's a fair fight?" Finn said as he landed in between them. The fight dissipated and with one last glance at Wells, Murphy walked off.

"You gonna let go of me now, Blake?" Max asked after a moment passed, glancing back at the older male.

"Sure, thing, sweetheart," he said and dropped his hold on her, "next time keep your mouth shut and stay out of it, though, save me the trouble." Her eyes narrowed at his retreating back as he walked toward his younger sister.

"Jackass," Max muttered as she made her way toward Wells and dropped down on the ground beside him.

* * *

She didn't know how long she'd been watching him for, with her back pressed against a nearby tree. Rousing the crowd of delinquents with grandiose speeches of being free and living in a world without rules or consequences. He knew just what to say to get them all going, to get them eating out of the palm of his hand. Bellamy Blake seemed adamant on getting everyone to remove their wristbands.

Why, she hadn't a clue. Sure, he had no one left on the Ark. His mother had been floated when his sister was discovered, that much Max knew. She just didn't know why the hell he was so insistent on everyone - even kids with families who loved and missed them - dying in the eyes of the Ark.

It was suspicious to say the least. He was either very much against the Ark knowing they were alive or trying to rouse the group simply to gain whatever he possibly could and solidify himself as their leader.

"You gonna join the party, Spitfire?" Bellamy asked as he sauntered over to her.

"What angle are you playing, Blake?" Max asked, shifting her body so her shoulder was leaning against the tree instead. "Why so desperate for the Ark to think we're dead?"

"We deserve to be liberated," he responded, arms dangling by his sides. He hadn't changed much since she had last seen him. Looked the same, spoke the same, had the same cocky attitude she knew. He was the same Bellamy Blake only now she was experiencing what the man was like on earth and not against the wall of the janitor's closet on the Ark.

"You already were liberated, jackass," she said as she reached forward to grab his right arm. Max held it up for him to see and glanced at his wrist. "No, wristband, Blake. You're over eighteen, you weren't a prisoner, you're only here for your sister," she said dropping his arm.

"None of us will be liberated if the Ark comes down here, Sweetheart, you think they'll care about you when they come down?" He asked as he threw his hand up and used it to lean against the tree. _Her_ tree.

"Oh, I know they won't," she laughed, "I'm not delusional, Blake. Maybe they come down here and shoot me on the spot for the crimes I've committed, maybe they follow through and pardon us," she shrugged her shoulder and pushed off of the tree with the other. "Either way, I don't care."

"I think you do, Spitfire," Bellamy said as Max took a step backward. "Can't hide behind that 'I don't give a damn' attitude forever."

"Don't act like you know me, Blake," Max said as she continued walked backwards away from him, for the second time that day. "You don't."

"Sure I do, Sweetheart," he laughed as he finally pushed himself off the tree and made his way back to the fire.

Max turned around and collided with the boy from earlier, the one she had chosen to insult in front of a crowd of delinquent teenagers. He was leering down at her, holding the piece of metal he had been using to help Blake remove wristbands with. "Can I help you?" she asked, mustering up all the faux innocence and sweetness she could.

"Yeah," he said and reached down to grip her wrist tightly. The hold wouldn't have hurt much if it hadn't been for the guard, this morning, that slammed it into the wall on her. "You can hold still."

"Yeah, not likely," she said as she tried to pull her wrist out of Murphy's grasp. "But thanks for the offer," she added her left hand forming into a fist.

"Didn't remember offering you a choice, Orphan girl," he drawled, "don't want to get another black eye do you?"

"Woah," she said as she widened her eyes. "I'm utterly terrified. Still compensating for something are we, Murphy? Threatening to hit a girl now?" She laughed. "And seriously, man, Orphan girl? Aren't you an orphan boy now too?"

Fault number one: Max's mouth and her brain rarely communicated. Actually, she was pretty sure her brain didn't communicate with her body at all - not until everything was already said or done. Not that she had any plans of changing it any time soon. She was quite content with herself. Usually.

There was whooping in the background as another one of the boys, who had apparently decided Bellamy was their almighty leader (and were clearly misguided) managed to remove another girl's wristband. "C'mon Spitfire, you're next," Bellamy called out but Max refused to break her stare with Murphy.

"I give punches as good as I get," she hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at the now seething Murphy. "So let go of me, or I swear I'll -"

"You'll what?" Murphy asked. His lips curved into a smirk.

In one swift motion, Max drew her left knee back and slammed it at an upward angle into Murphy. His hand dropped from around her wrist, at the same time she landed a left uppercut to the underside of his chin. "That," she said expelling a deep breath, "I'll do that."

"You fucking bitch," Murphy hissed as he brought his hand up to his chin.

"Next time, don't touch me," she said as she placed two hands on his chest and shoved him away from her. Max took a large step back and turned around before she started to walk back in the direction of the drop ship.

"Here I thought, a girl like you, likes to be touched," Murphy's voice rang out, effectively stopping her in her tracks.

"You trying to imply something, there, Murphy?" Max asked as she turned around. Behind him she could see Blake step away from the crowd, still chanting along with his "Whatever the hell we want" declarations.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Murphy, go help Atom," Bellamy said as he stepped closer.

"This isn't over," Murphy responded though his words were directed at Max as opposed to Bellamy.

"Never could control your mouth, could you, Spitfire?" Bellamy asked as he stepped closer, still leaving a sizable gap between them.

"Why Blake," Max began leaning in, "I thought you liked my uncontrollable mouth."

Water began to drip down from the sky above them, and Max tilted her head upward. Rain. She had never seen, nor felt, rain before but Max had the sudden urge to throw her arms out and stand there all night. The water coming down on them, on her, was refreshing to say the least.

"We need to collect it," she heard Wells say and Max turned her attention from the sky to Wells.

"Whatever the hell you want," Bellamy had responded before walking off. She kept her eyes trained on his retreating back, curious as to why he was so hellbent on all of this.

"Max, right?" Wells' voice broke her out of her stare fest with the back of their self-proclaimed leader (if you could even call him that).

"Yeah?" She asked eyes now focused on the son of the Chancellor. That's when it hit her. The Chancellor's son was on the drop ship with the rest of the prisoners. She had suspected he'd be the type to follow the laws, never stray, because of his father. So what exactly could he have done that his own father would have ordered his arrest? She was suddenly intrigued.

"Want to help me?" He asked, a hopeful look in his eye. Sure, she had never particularly liked his father but he wasn't Thelonious Jaha. Wells couldn't be blamed for the things his father did - especially when the much older Jaha was following the laws and rules set forth well before his time. "I want to collect some of the water," he continued pointing upward to indicate the rain.

"Yeah," she said with a nod of her head, "sure."

"He's a real piece of work, isn't he?" Wells asked after several moments of them working in silence had passed between them.

"Who?" She asked without shifting her gaze from what she was doing.

"Blake. He's glaring at us, don't know what I did to get him to hate me so much," Wells said even though she was certain he knew these kids were holding grudges because his father wasn't around.

"The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children," Max quoted as she glanced up and found Bellamy looking in their direction. "People are stupid, can't differentiate the two," she said as she looked away from Blake, "but I don't think he's staring daggers into you."

"Did you know him on the Ark?" Wells asked a moment later.

 _Yeah, we used to have sex against the wall of one of the Ark's janitor closets. He became a janitor you know? After getting kicked out of the guard cadet program._ "No," she lied.

* * *

 **Non 100 Quotes** : "The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children". William Shakespeare, _The Merchant of Venice._

 **Author's Note:** I don't usually write Original Character stories because I tend to lose steam from them, but I've had so many ideas for this one ever since watching the 100 recently. I won't continue if no one is interested in the idea that I do, but I hope some people are! I actually think it's so easy to incorporate originals into the 100 because of the storyline and the vast amount of unnamed members of the 100. If anyone has some good fanfiction suggestions for the 100 originals or otherwise feel free to message me! I want to start reading some.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer** | I don't own the 100, it's characters, or its plot-lines. I only own my own writing (and not the quotes pulled from the series), my own plotlines, and any original characters and/or original character dynamics.

* * *

"Thanks," Wells' voice broke the silence as he moved toward the pile of clothes and belongings of the two boys who died in the dropship. "For helping me with this."

"It was the humane thing to do," Max replied as she wiped the dirt off her hands and onto her jeans. "Besides, if we left them in the dropship, it'd start to smell something fierce."

Laughter erupted from the male as he nodded his head in agreement. She watched him, curiously, as he pulled his sleeve back and dragged the tips of his fingernails along the flesh of his wrist. Flesh that was previously covered by his wristband. Her eyebrows scrunched in puzzlement as the corner of her lips dragged upward. _Where was it?_ He was so adamant against taking it off last night.

"I didn't think you'd take off your wristband," she stated, extending a long slender finger in his direction, gesturing to the exposed flesh.

"I didn't," he said as he pulled his sleeve back down, "not willingly, at least."

"What the hell does that mean?" She demanded as she stepped toward him, snatching his arm from where he let it dangle at his side. She ran the tip of her finger over his skin, the outline of the band still present as though it were embossed into his skin permanently.

"Blake and his," he paused, dropping his eyes to his wrist.

"Goons?" she supplied, as she released her hold on him and stepped away.

"Yeah, they forced it off last night. Blake woke me up, at gunpoint, forced me away from camp. His goons jumped me," He sighed, a look of despair in his eyes. "Now my father thinks I'm dead."

"Shit, Wells, I'm sorry," she wished she had known, somehow, what Bellamy had been planning. Wished she could have helped Wells. He didn't deserve that, and now a man - however much she disliked Chancellor Jaha - thought his son was dead.

 _Shit._ Max thought to herself, _I'm beginning to sound like a friend._ Is that what she was? Outside of the orphans she grew up with she didn't have any friends and she wasn't so sure they counted. They were more like family than they were friends.

He was standing still and for a moment Max thought he looked broken, or at least defeated. She bent down to pick up the pile of things at his feet.

"How come you don't hate me?" He asked, causing her to stop her movements and look up at him.

"Do you want me to hate you?" She asked, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Because I could try. I don't have the best people skills, so I'm sure I could find a reason."

"No, No," he sighed as he bent down to pick up the things. "Almost everyone here hates me because of my father, you don't seem to."

"Ah," she began as she stood up, "look, the way I see it whoever's to blame for the crap life on the Ark is whoever wrote the damn rules and built the damn thing. Who's to blame for my crap life?" She shrugged, and laughed bitterly. "My parents, whoever they were."

"You're her," Wells started recognition dawning on him, "the baby abandoned on the Ark."

"Yep," she began stolidly, "that's me. No parents, no real name, a birthday that's probably wrong. The epitome of orphans."

"Sorry," he said, casting his eyes downward almost as if in shame. "I didn't mean to-"

She waved her hand, cutting him off. "It's cool, Wells. Don't worry about it." The brunette stepped around the male and began the short trek back toward the dropship. Despite the fact that they were crawling upon the twenty-four hour mark since they'd landed on Earth, it was still utterly surreal. She had woken up that morning prepared to say goodbye to the Ark and accept the fate of being floated. The sun's rays and the male standing over her - Wells - had brought her into reality. She wasn't going to be floated and she wasn't going to die. At least, not today.

"Hey Wells?" Max called out as they neared the dropship, stopping to look back at him.

"Yeah, Max?" He replied as he shifted the clothing around in his arms.

"Don't let them get to you, alright?" She began, "they're a bunch of bitter assholes. Emphasis on the assholes."

"I'll keep that in mind," he laughed softly, "thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it," she paused, lips curving into a slight smile, "seriously don't mention it. Got a reputation to uphold."

"Wouldn't dream of messing with it, Max, don't worry," he said with a shake of his head.

"You're a solid guy, Wells Jaha," Max said as she slapped him on the back gently, a hint of laughter in her tone.

The Chancellor's son laughed briefly as he walked ahead of her. She let him go, taking a moment to absorb the sight of the Earth around her. They had all imagined Earth at some point in their lives, it was a side effect of growing up in space, but somehow despite all of her daydreams as a child nothing compared to the real thing. The smell of the fresh air, the green of the grass and the trees, the vibrant colors and light provided by the sun. Before heading in the direction Wells had gone off in she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and counted to ten.

She would enjoy these ten seconds of peace, free of problems or disruption. It was, after all, her birthday. At least, the best guess of the day she was born.

"We share based on need," Wells sounded annoyed, angry, maybe even a little desperate. She knew he was frustrated with the actions of those around them - this whatever the hell we want bullshit. The Ark was too strict, she'd be among the first to admit it, but just because they were on Earth and away from Jaha didn't mean they could or should fall into utter chaos. "Just like back home."

She had reached him, now, and watched as he tried to keep the items out of arm's length of the other boy. Before she could do, or say, anything a voice broke through the air, stopping the stare down between Wells and one of his new-found enemies.

"You still don't get it, do you Chancellor?" Bellamy asked as he sauntered down the ramp of the dropship, shirtless, with a girl on his arm. He leaned toward the female, whose torso was half exposed, and pressed his lips to hers. His eyes, however, were on Max.

 _Jackass._ She thought, _Like I care who he has sex with?_ She didn't. Why would she? They hadn't been together in nearly a year and it's not like they were even actually together. They had sex a few times, or more accurately several, but it didn't mean anything. Whoever he slept with was his own business. He'd probably make his way through the entire camp by the end of the week - save for the girls who were entirely too young for him.

"This is home, now. Your father's rules," Bellamy continued as he moved closer to Wells, "no longer apply." He reached forward and forcefully took a shirt out of Wells' grasp. The younger male stepped forward, no doubt trying to reclaim the stolen the shirt. The boy standing beside Bellamy placed his hands on Wells' chest to stop him. "Woah, Woah, Atom, Hold up," Bellamy stopped his follower. He leaned forward and looked directly at Wells, holding the shirt up. "You want it? Take it."

"Didn't you get the memo, Wells? We're supposed to bow down to King Bellamy and all of his rules," she said impassively, as she stepped forward with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Weren't you listening, sweetheart?" Bellamy's eyes found her's as he clutched the shirt in front of his bare chest. "There are no rules."

"Is this what you want?" Wells asked as he twisted his body to throw the clothes down on the ground. "Chaos?"

"What's wrong with a little chaos?" Bellamy asked as a bunch of kids threw themselves toward the pile.

"You're an idiot if you have to ask that, Blake," Max declared as she turned to face the group of boys. If everyone got out of that crowd unscathed she'd be completely surprised.

A scream erupted, pulling their attention away from what occurred before them. Wells was the first to run in the direction of the scream, followed by Bellamy who was pulling his shirt over his head as he moved. As she ran behind them, Max found herself wishing Bellamy had tripped in the process.

Murphy had a girl over the fire, restraining her arms, face close to the flames. Of course it was Murphy, the boy who apparently had nothing better to do with his time than take up the moniker of the resident jackass in Bellamy's absence and apparent borderline sociopath.

"Bellamy. Check it out. We want the Ark to think that the ground is killing us, right? Figure it'll look better if we suffer a little bit first," Murphy said as he pushed the girl's face closer to the flames.

"Let her go!" Wells shouted as he pushed Murphy off of the girl, before turning to face Bellamy. "You can stop this," he pleaded.

"Stop this?" Bellamy spoke as though it was the most outlandish thing Wells could have said. "I'm just getting started."

The second Murphy attacked Wells, Max tried to throw herself into the fray. Her movements were halted by a grip on her wrist. _Bellamy._ Before he could say anything - something that would undoubtedly piss her off further - she let her anger take control of her body. While Bellamy had a firm grasp of her left wrist she turned around and aimed a wild punch at the side of his face. She yanked her hand out of his weakened grip and shoved him backwards.

"This is madness, Blake," she nearly shouted, her tone hostile, as her hands pushed on his chest for the second time. "How could you possibly think any of this is okay, you deplorable jackass!"

"As much as I find your temper a turn on, Sweetheart, that's enough," Bellamy's expression was a cross between angry and amused as he blocked her fourth attempt to strike him. He grabbed hold of her, once again, and pulled her flush into his chest.

She seethed as her eyes narrowed into a glare. He fixed her with a glare of his own and until Wells' voice broke through neither of them wavered.

"Don't you see you can't control this?"

"Hold her back," Bellamy hissed as he pushed her roughly toward Atom, who had followed them earlier.

Atom caught her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her in place. She found herself feeling vastly more uncomfortable than when Bellamy had done the same the day prior. "Wells!" She called out to her new-found friend as she watched Murphy stand up, gripping something tightly in his hand. "You're dead," he said.

"Wait," Bellamy said as he stepped toward them and Max stopped struggling against Atom's hold. _He's ending this?_ She found herself relieved, and expelling a breath she didn't know she was holding. Was this what it was like to have a friend? She wasn't entirely sure if she liked it or not. "Fair fight," Bellamy held up a makeshift knife and dropped it down in front of Wells.

"He's insane," she muttered as she began to struggle against Atom's hold again. She brought her boot clad foot down onto his before kicking backwards at his leg, neither of which did more than make him stumble while still gripping onto her. Apparently, he was determined to follow Bellamy's wishes and hold onto her.

She continued to struggle against Atom's hold. He wasn't particularly strong, he certainly didn't have Bellamy's strength, but he was still stronger and better built than she was. Not to mention the fact that he was determined to keep the hold. She didn't know what it was that Bellamy did to these guys that had them following him blindly. No, that wasn't quite right. She did know. He didn't care about order, and he knew how to give a rousing speech. Plus, she guess, assholes flocked together. Probably why she had ever slept with Bellamy in the first place.

"You bitch!" Atom hissed as he shoved her away, hard enough that she lost her balance and collided with the ground. She grinned despite the surge of pain that shot through the arm used to break her fall. She had finally gotten free of the idiot's hold.

"Wells! Let him go!" Clarke Griffin commanded as she came into view. She watched as Wells pushed Murphy away again, and Bellamy interfered when Murphy tried to launch himself back at Wells.

"You okay?" A voice spoke directly in front of her, and Max looked up to see Finn standing there.

"Aces," she replied with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. He grinned and held his hand out for her to take.

She begrudgingly took it and allowed him to help her up. The two of them walked closer to Clarke, Wells, Monty and the Blakes.

"We were attacked," Clarke stated as she eyed everyone standing immediately around her, and then the crowd.

"Attacked? By what?" Wells asked, stepping toward Clarke.

"Not what. Who." Finn interjected as he sat down on a moss covered log. "It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last Grounder."

"It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us." Clarke spoke with a sense of regality that Bellamy lacked. She tried to inspire hope, Bellamy only tried to inspire chaos.

"Bad news is, the Grounders probably will," Finn interjected.

Well, there goes that bout of hope.

Then it hit her. Clarke, Finn, Octavia and Monty were all present, but she distinctly remembered there being five that left on the journey the day before.

"Wait," multiple pairs of eyes turned toward her, but her gaze only found Clarke's. "Where's the kid with the goggles, uh," she paused trying to remember his name, "Jasper?"

"He was hit," Clarke replied solemnly. Dread washed over Max. Had they lost another one so soon? She and Wells had only just buried two of their own. "they took him."

She wasn't sure which was worse.

* * *

She left the crowd before Bellamy's thousandth rousing speech. She heard it in the distance, the echoes of his words and the cheerful agreement from the rest of the teenagers. She didn't care for what Bellamy had to say, not anymore. In the past twenty-four hours of being on the ground, everything the man did drove her crazy.

And not in the way that it used to.

"Hey," she said as she approached the youngest member of their camp. It had taken her a while to seek the girl out, she guessed Charlotte was among those to watch what unfolded by the fire.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked as her eyes darted up to meet Max's.

"Why do you assume something's wrong?" Max inquired as she squatted down in front of the girl.

"You have that look," Charlotte stated as though she were pointing out something so obvious.

"What look?" Max asked, eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"Your worried look," Charlotte stated. She laughed when Max's brow furrowed down out of confusion. "I've known you long enough, Maxie, you always tried to take care of everyone when the Ark forgot us," Charlotte began. The two had known one another a couple of years - ever since Charlotte's parents were floated - but Charlotte had taken to Max quickly. She was young, scared, and in mourning over her parents. Max had tried her best to help her, help all of them, but it seems she failed by being arrested. Otherwise, maybe, Charlotte wouldn't be here. "But sometimes you'd get this look on your face."

"That you think means I'm worried?" Max asked as she smoothed her brow in favor of raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Charlotte began as she looked up at Max, "aren't you?"

Max shook her head. She was worried. They had just found out they weren't on Earth alone and someone had speared - and taken - Jasper. It wasn't safe, not as safe as they believed. Even then they, or at least she, hadn't believed it was ever too safe. Now it was just even less so. "Never mind that," she said brushing the question aside. Max reached out and gently took Charlotte's wrist in her hand. "If they want to take this off of you don't fight them, okay? Let them do it. It's not worth you getting hurt over," she said as she brushed her thumb over the wristband.

"Okay," Charlotte agreed, even though Max doubted she cared if it stayed on or came off. There was no one back on the Ark for Charlotte, no one waiting to hear if she was alive or gone.

"I'll see you later, kid, okay?" Max said with a smile as she stood up and turned away from the girl. Her eyes scanned over the crowd and after a moment finally found who she was looking for.

"Max?" Charlotte's voiced stopped her from moving before she got far.

"Yeah?" Max asked as she turned to look back at her.

"Happy Birthday," Charlotte said with a smile.

"Thanks," Max responded with a slight smile of her own. Sometimes she hated celebrating her birthday - she was still never quite sure if her birthday really was today or not - but it wasn't like she ever really had much of a celebration in previous years either.

Her long legged strides allowed her to quickly cross the distance between where she was and where Wells and Clarke stood. Finn was walking away from them and when she reached the small group she heard Monty speak to a retreating Finn. "Jasper looked up to you."

Her eyes darted back to Finn before she turned toward Clarke and Wells. "You guys leaving, now?"

"Soon," Clarke said as she turned to look at her. The blonde looked tense, briefly, as she stood next to Wells. Max wondered what went down between the two of them, but knew it wasn't currently important.

"Good," Max began eyes flickering from her to Wells,then to Monty who still lingered behind them. He was friends with Jasper, wasn't he? She swore she saw them together after the dropship crashed, right up until they left for Mount Weather. "Count me in."

"Thank You," multiple voices spoke at once and Max fought the urge to laugh.

"Three is better than two," Wells said. Max wondered which of them wasn't going and then she caught Monty's look again, a look that sad it all.

"I'd like to say I'm easily worth at least two people," Max commented trying to break the tense moment, "but I'll refrain."

"You got a pack, or anything? Need to make one?" Clarke asked and Max turned her gaze back toward the blonde.

"Nah," Max shrugged, "I'll just wing it. We shouldn't waste time."

"Alright, let's go," Clarke said and began moving toward the area the group had come from last night. Wells had immediately begun to follow her.

"Clarke, wait," Max called quickly stepping up to them.

"Change your mind about the pack?" Clarke asked, as she glanced back at her. Clarke stopped walking but Wells continued on.

"No, no," Max sighed, "I can't believe about to say this. We should get Bellamy."

"Why?" Clarke asked. She could tell just by Clarke's tone that she already couldn't stand Bellamy. It wasn't nice to know Max wasn't the only female he had that effect on. At least, currently.

"He has a gun," Max pointed out. Most of the camp has seen it by now to know, especially when he parades himself around half naked. "We don't know what's out there. Could be useful."

"Yeah," Clarke replied as she turned to look for the male in question, "you're right. Let's go then."

The two girls caught up to Wells and Clarke lead the three in the direction of where Bellamy was crouched down in front of his younger sister, while he cleaned the wound on her leg.

"You could have been killed," she heard Bellamy say, in a tone she imagined he only used when speaking to Octavia.

"She would have been, if Jasper hadn't pulled her out," Clarke interjected.

Immediately Octavia tried to stand. "You guys leaving? I'm coming too."

Bellamy stood and stopped his sister from standing. "No, no way. Not again."

"He's right," Clarke said as she looked down at Octavia. "Your leg is just going to slow us down."

"Unfortunately," Max spoke from the other side of Wells - and behind Bellamy. "We're here for you, Blake."

"Max, Clarke, what are you doing?" Wells asked, but neither girl responded.

"Hear you have a gun," Clarke said. Bellamy lifted up the side of his shirt to show them the weapon. "Good, follow me."

"And why would I do that?" Bellamy asked and Max couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Because you want them to follow you," Clarke said stepping close, "and right now, they're thinking only one of is scared."

Bellamy was silent for a moment and Max bit back laughter. "Murphy, Come with me. Atom, my sister doesn't leave this camp. Is that clear?"

Murphy stepped forward, a displeased look on his face. He didn't want to accompany them. It was fine, Max was certain no one wanted him to accompany them either. "Oh, goodie, now it's really a party," she muttered before turning to follow Clarke and Wells.

* * *

"Hey, wait up. What's the rush?" Bellamy's voice broke the silence between the trio. A very awkward silence in Max's opinion. She turned to look at him, and Murphy, as he came into view.

"Put the gun away, Bellamy," Wells said and that's when Max saw it. The gun in his hand that he carelessly waved around.

"Or better yet," she spoke as she stepped forward and held out her hand with her palm facing upward. "Just give me the gun and you can go back to playing the manipulative tyrant." Her eyes narrowed as she locked gazes with Bellamy. He was hiding something and she had never been so certain. How had he gotten on the dropship in the first place? It couldn't have been easy.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him," Clarke's voice broke the intense glare between the pair. "If the spear struck his heart, he would have died instantly. Doesn't mean we have time to waste."

Bellamy ripped his gaze from Max and she watched as he turned to face Clarke, stepping toward her. "As soon as you take the wristband off, we can go," he said. Max had no doubt he was trying to be threatening.

"The only way the Ark is going to think I'm dead, is if I'm dead. Got it?" Clark hissed, as she and Bellamy stood less than a foot apart. She was standing her ground, unafraid, and Max found herself impressed and proud all at once.

"Brave Princess," Bellamy drawled stepping even closer.

"Hey, why don't you find your own nickname?" Finn's voice drew their attention away from one another and they all looked back at him as he broke free from the cover of the trees. "You call this a rescue party?" He asked almost as if he were mocking them. "Got to split up, cover more ground. Clarke, come with me." He moved toward the blonde, who was smiling.

"Better late than never," she commented as he approached.

"I'd like to think so," he grinned. Once he reached her the two of them took off.

"Guess we have more in common than meets the eye, huh?" Max heard Bellamy say a moment later. Murphy was up ahead, then Bellamy and Wells were behind him. Max opted to keep a short distance from all of them.

"We have nothing in common," Wells stated in a matter-of-fact sort of tone. As far as she knew he was right. So far nothing about them struck her as similar.

"No? Both came down here to protect someone we love. Your secret's safe with me. 'course, for you it's worse. With Finn around Clarke doesn't even see you. It's like you're not even here," she heard Bellamy say amusement evident in the way he spoke.

"Quit talking, Blake," Max commented as she shoved past him and moved in front of Murphy. She'd split up, on her own, if it spared her from having to be accompanied by Bellamy and one of her favorite lackeys. She only hoped that Wells followed her.

"Aren't you supposed to be happier on your birthday?" A voice asked from behind her and she groaned. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Wells and Murphy walking awkwardly in silence. Without sparing Bellamy a glance she resumed walking.

"Not when the company has me wanting to gouge my eyes out," she commented dryly.

He chuckled. "It's nice to know you've still got that fire, Maxie."

"Don't call me that," she hissed as she gritted her teeth, "you're not among the list of those who can use that name."

"What happened, sweetheart? You used to love spending time with me," he said as he moved closer to her. Likely on purpose.

"Yeah, when you were naked and didn't talk," she pointed out, "besides you weren't always such a-"

"Deplorable Jackass?" he supplied, "or my favorite of all your recent insults - manipulative tyrant?"

"Don't tell me I hurt your feelings, Blake," she looked back at him and something flashed across his face. An instant of emotion that was gone soon after it appeared.

"Not a chance, Spitfire," he laughed, "I enjoy your feisty side."

"Do you know what I'd enjoy?" Max responded instantly. "For you to be quiet."

"We don't always get what we want, Sweetheart," he quipped laughter erupting from him as he followed behind her. "Got a question for you," he said after they walked in silence for several minutes.

"What is it, Blake?" She sighed. She had hoped they'd be able to continue the trek in silence but she knew he wouldn't stop unless she gave and answered him.

"What happened?" He asked, his tone lacking his previous cocky attitude. It seemed uncharacteristically serious, which only served to intrigue her. "That night, you were supposed to meet me," he clarified after a moment of silence on her part.

"Got arrested, Blake, wasn't eighteen yet. You know how it works," she said with a shrug of her shoulder.

"Thanks, sweetheart, couldn't have figured that out myself," he replied, sarcasm lacing his tone, "I meant for what?"

She knew it was coming. Knew he'd ask her why she never showed up the first time they were intending on doing something that didn't involve a severe lack of clothing and a janitor's closet. She had just hoped it would came later rather than sooner. "Another time, okay?" She commented after a long pause, "we're supposed to be-"

The toe of her boot caught on a root protruding from the ground of the forest, forcing her ankle to painfully roll. Hands attempted to grab onto her, and she wildly swung out to grab onto the male beside her, but the momentum of her fall sent both Bellamy and Max hurtling toward the ground. They slid down a small hill toward an over-sized tree, the upper half of her back took the brunt of the collision. However, it was Bellamy's hand that stopped her head from also slamming into the trunk.

"Fuck," she groaned as soon as it was over. "Fucking tree."

She shifted her gaze toward Bellamy, who was half on top of her and half next to her. His face was inches from her's and for a second she swore he was going to kiss her.

"You okay?" She breathed, desperately trying to only look at his eyes.

"I'm not the one who hit the tree," he said as he slowly pulled off of her and got himself to his feet. His hand extended toward her and she hesitated for a moment before taking it and allowing him to haul her upright.

"Your hand -" she began but the words died on her lips when he pushed her into the tree. She hissed out in pain after her back collided with it for a second time, although this time was much softer. She parted her lips to speak but nothing came out and a second later his lips were against her's.

The kiss was hungry and desperate, nearly animalistic. He pushed his body flush against her's and her arms snaked up and her hands fisted his hair. It had always been the best part of his hair, being able to grab onto it while their bodies were pushed against one another. Their tongues battled for dominance until they broke apart gasping for air.

His lips were back on her's seconds later but the kiss didn't last nearly as long as she would have liked. He lead a trail of kisses down the side of her jaw, toward her ear. His teeth tugged on the lobe before he continued the descent to her neck. His mouth kissed, sucked and nibbled on her flesh in all the spots and in all the ways he knew she loved, his hand tugging the neck of her shirt to the side. A low moan escaped her and he intensified his attack on her.

She almost forgot about why they were in the woods, in the first place, until someone called his name.

Murphy.

"Fuck," Bellamy whispered against her flesh before they untangled themselves from one another. "Yeah, be right there. Haven't found anything yet," he called back. Max ran her hand through her hair and readjusted the neck of her shirt. She watched as Bellamy ran a hand through his own hair - smoothing out all the places her hands desperately tugged.

"Come on," she muttered, pushing past him, and headed in the direction of Murphy's voice.

* * *

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" Murphy asked as he, Bellamy, Max and Wells followed Clarke and Finn. The brunette couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. A reaction she was beginning to think was instinctive around Bellamy's goons.

"We don't," Bellamy began, the volume he spoke in growing as he continued, "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

"It's called cutting sign," Wells commented as Max moved in front of him, desperate to space between herself and Bellamy - what happened by the tree still hot on her mind. "Fourth year Earth skills, he's good."

"You want to keep it down?" Finn said as he examined a broken tree branch, "or should I paint a target on your backs?"

Max grinned and bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. No one got the chance to respond as a moan broke through the air.

"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked and Max wanted to snap at him, tell him it was most likely the injured kid they were here to find.

"Now would be a good time to take that gun out," Clarke said as they heard another moan and walked toward the sound.

Then they saw him. Jasper.

The kid with the goggles who had just cracked a joke about a bar and a beer yesterday, was strung up on a tree shirtless. His head was down, chin against the top of his chest, he was unconscious but they could see the rise and fall of his chest.

"Shit," Max muttered at the same time Clarke said, "Jasper? Oh my god."

The history books up on the Ark definitely got it wrong.

They never covered anything about survivors on Earth that were more likely to kill them rather than help them survive.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed it thus far! I hoped you liked this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. It was initially going to be quite a bit longer but I decided to end it since it already hit over 5,000 words. Thanks for reading!


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